Schools join toothbrushing scheme to battle decay

Raven and Theo are keen teeth brushers from Bream Primary School

More than 6,000 children from 113 schools across Gloucestershire are participating in a toothbrushing club.

In March, the Government announced that children in the most deprived areas of England will get access to a programme to help protect them from tooth decay.

The NHS has been funding At Home Dental's Big Brush Club, since it was launched in 2024. They help provide schools with free toothbrushes, toothpaste and kits for the children to take home.

Jermaine Badman, Big Brush Club Project Facilitator, said the club was a "preventative programme" to stop early cases of tooth decay.

In the South West, more than 3,300 teachers and staff have been trained as Oral Health Champions.

One of the 113 Primary Schools and Nurseries involved is Bream Church of England Primary School.

Headteacher Nicky Brice said: "We all know children have to brush their teeth twice a day but there is a real technique to it, good oral hygiene is vital to introduce at an early stage.

"We know those challenging times are bed times and getting ready for school, this makes those daily routines a lot smoother and easier."

In 2022, 60,000 school days were missed due to tooth extractions

Government statistics show that 22.4% of five year old schoolchildren in England had experience of obvious dental decay, with tooth decay the most common reason for hospital admissions in children aged between five and nine years.

Jermaine Badman and Chantelle Coles, Big Brush Club Project Facilitators, said: "We target areas of deprivation, educating children how to brush their teeth effectively.

"It gives them the independence of doing it themselves and it makes the children very familiar with what they need to be doing."

The provide advice to parents through online webinars, advising them: "Children aged above three years old should use a pea size amount of toothpaste and below three years old, the size of a grain of rice."

Bream primary School host the teeth brushing session every school day